Rumours are flying that Samsung will have addressed the problem with the crease in it’s foldable smartphones when the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is expected to be released in August.

The Verge is one of many media outlets reporting that Samsung could adopt a “droplet”-style hinge that allows the display to form a teardrop shape when closed, making for a much gentler curve that leaves less of a crease.

SamMobile says a Z Fold 5 prototype with teardrop hinge was spotted at the CES show in Las Vegas last week.

The visible crease on the folded-out display is a problem to many users. It’s present, too, in the smaller Z Flip 4. I have one of these and I don’t find the crease obstrusive at all even though, like the Z Fold 4, it is visible when viewed from certain angles. Yes I notice it but it doesn’t bother me at all.

I think the crease visibilty on the larger Z Fold 4 (see the photo above) may be a different matter, though, one reason that prevented me from considering buying one. Well, that and the eye-watering price.

Now, though, could be the moment. If Samsung can broadly solve this issue, I can see a Z Fold 5 replacing the need for a separate tablet. That would interest me a lot.

I have a Galaxy S5e tablet with a 10.5-inch screen. Too big for me: given my use of a tablet as a secondary device for occasional light media consumption, streaming video, etc, I’m more interested in a tablet that’s about the size of an iPad Mini, 7 inches or so, perhaps an inch larger. If it also doubles as a phone, and can fold down to that form, that would be very handy.

Bill Gates turned me on to this idea:

“It’s specifically the screen size that he likes as he no longer needs to bring a tablet with him.”

Bill Gates quoted in SoyaCincau.com

I’d have the best of both worlds – phone and tablet all in one folding device. With hardly a crease.